A man who served 33 years in prison for a murder he committed in 1987 has since helped lead hundreds of other inmates to faith in Jesus Christ through his work with a prison ministry.
Stanley Stever, a 52-year-old former inmate, has worked with Kindway, a Christian prison ministry based in Westerville, Ohio.
In an interview with The Christian Post, Stever said he believes that God has forgiven him for the murder he committed and that there is hope for others who have committed crimes to be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ.
Stever said, “Becoming a Christian was almost like being a recipient of a heart transplant, and it gave me the ability to come to the understanding that I have a new heart. And with that new heart, there’s a new responsibility.”
Stever became a Christian in 1999 while still imprisoned at the Marion Correctional Institution. Since he started telling other inmates about his testimony, Stever said he found healing. He said it’s amazing to see how many lives he has changed through his redemption story.
He added, “I’ve heard it said several times that ‘forgiveness is not forgetfulness.’ This means that you overcome the enemy by the blood of the lamb and the words of your testimony.”
“But don’t ever forget the things that the enemy did through you, in order that you might show the power of Christ to others in the Word through Him.”
Stever will continue to disciple inmates through Kindway for as long as he can, saying it’s “awesome to bring the love of God into other people’s lives.”